President Trump is only the third President to ever be impeached by the House of Representatives and, just like the dichotic duo before him, he was vindicated by an acquittal in the Senate.
For the Democrats, there has been a whole lot of “coulda, woulda, shoulda” talk of late. The left just knew that they could somehow get the President this time, and the Monday Morning quarterbacking has been incessant in the weeks since Trump skated away unscathed.
One of the great variables of the Senate trial was the possibility that witnesses could be called in the higher chamber. If this had been the case, there is little doubt that former national security adviser John Bolton would find himself on the witness stand.
But, if the left believed that Bolton would have been their ace in the hole, they have another thing coming.
In his second public discussion this week, Bolton was on stage at Vanderbilt University with former national security adviser under President Barack Obama, Susan Rice, who questioned Bolton’s refusal to discuss more details while his book undergoes screening for possible classified national security details by the Trump administration. Bolton was likewise quiet on specifics from the book during a Monday speaking engagement at Duke University.
Bolton plans to publish the book next month detailing his time in the White House, including criticism of Trump actions such as his decision to withhold military assistance while seeking a political favor from Ukraine. He said he believes the book doesn’t contain classified information.
Bolton contended that the House “committed impeachment malpractice,” drawing some grumbling from the audience, saying “the process drove Republicans who might have voted for impeachment away because it was so partisan.” He also said he didn’t expect the Senate to vote against having him testify.
“People can argue about what I should have said and what I should have done,” Bolton said. “I would bet you a dollar right here and now, my testimony would have made no difference to the ultimate outcome.”
Bolton’s book is still undergoing clearance from the Intelligence Department, and could be poised to make an appearance on bookshelves before 2020’s election.
